MCC Daily Tribune

Biology Faculty Participate in National Grant Initiative

As part of the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) 2019-2021 grant initiative, Strengthening Guided Pathways and Career Success by Ensuring Students Are Learning, members of MCC’s Biology faculty helped pilot an equity-focused and cross-disciplinary learning assessment process that measured critical thought in writing-intensive sections of BIO-133 (Human Biology) and BIO-145 (Anatomy and Physiology II). Led by Associate Professor Emeritus Jim Cronmiller and supported by the College’s AAC&U Project Team, High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Committee, Institutional Research, and Dr. Susan Hall (Associate Director, Curriculum and Assessment), these instructors developed common writing assignments that implemented the Transparency in Teaching and Learning (TILT) framework as a means of effecting greater equity in the learning process. Data from the 100 student artifacts sent to certified VALUE Rubric scorers revealed that the participating Health Sciences students earned high marks in all five distinct areas of critical thinking—with most of them working at or above the benchmark for college sophomores and juniors across demographic categories. 

Congratulations to all those who played a role in this successful grant initiative!

For more information, please contact Kimberley Collins, Associate Vice President of Academic Services (kcollins@monroecc.edu) or Michael Jacobs, Dean of Humanities & Social Sciences (mjacobs20@monroecc.edu).

Biology Team

Julie Babulski, Assistant Professor
Jim Cronmiller, Associate Professor Emeritus
Michele Finn, Professor
Jennifer Hill, Professor
Jennifer Markham, Associate Professor
James Murphy, Professor (and Chair)
Mary Jo Vest, Professor
Atif Wahba, Associate Professor
Chris Wendtland, Associate Professor

Andrea Wade
Academic Services
09/30/2021